The Easterners - Echoes Of The Bonnie & Clyde Era

(Vetco LP-3003) 1968

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After the success of Warren Beatty's 'Bonnie and Clyde' film in 1967, which featured Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Breakdown, there was a spate of 'cash-in' releases including Flatt & Scruggs' 'The Story of Bonnie & Clyde' LP; Jimmie Skinner's Story Of Bonnie & Clyde; and The Bluegrass Banjo Pickers 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown And Other Music From The Bonnie & Clyde Era'; even Ralph cut the clawhammer instrumental Bonnie And Clyde's Hop on his 1968 Old Time Music album.

The Easterner's release, features mostly shortened versions of standards in the public domain. It gives little sign of the glorious vocal work Roy Lee would later come up with during his tenure as lead vocalist with Ralph, and at times it is difficult to tell which tracks (if any) Roy Lee sings lead on and which feature Fred Spencer. In fact, the album may not feature Roy Lee at all... the exact same album was later reissued as by Jim McCall - "Pickin' And Singin'" (Vetco 3010) 1972, but without listing any personnel.

The only explanation I can think of is that the Easterners personnel changed between the point when the album was recorded, and the point when it was released... Did Roy Lee Centers join after it had been recorded? Or is the Jim McCall album a bogus rip-off?

Roy Lee would I guess have been about 23, when this was recorded, so maybe that could also explain why the vocals don't sound like his work with Ralph?

Given Roy Lee's potential involvement, original copies of this album are nowadays quite expensive and difficult to find... but digital copies are out there on the internet.

The Easterners also had at least one single:- A Heart That Was Broken / A Good Woman's Love (Vetco 80909) 196?. This too doesn't sound like it Roy Lee, with the consensus being that it feautures Jim McCall on lead vocal, with Vernon McIntyre and Fred Spencer.

Vernon McIntyre also played banjo with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin, and later recorded a few albums with Jim McCall and Appalachian Grass.